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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ball — a great time
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — wild animals
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. game — a match
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com